Final run of the Hullabaloo

After two months of constant jaunts to SE Belmont (five days a week for one month, and three days a week for the past month) for the Hullabaloo, our lives can get back to normal! (That's if proceeding directly into the Christmas week is anything like normal!) Today Kieran ended his 25-show run of "Frankenstein: The Little Monster." The last time I posted about the play, he was halfway through.

Because of the theater's location across town and the fact that he's only eight, either Mike or I have been at every single performance (mostly me, in fact). We know every song by heart by now, including Nicholas. (Sunday afternoon I had to keep covering up his mouth because he was audibly singing along, and he was always the first on his feet for "Hammer Time!")

We are sooooo grateful to all of our friends and family who came out to see the show. I know it wasn't very convenient for many of you. Our brother-in-law's brother and his wife drove all the way down from Puyallup to see the show, and drove back that evening! It really meant a lot to us that you took time out of your busy lives to support our budding thespian.

It's been an amazing experience for Kieran, and exhausting, stressful, and incredibly hard work as well. We've had tears, and we've noted the stress on such a young person. At times it was lonely for him as the only child in the show, and it was the first time that he was the least-experienced actor in a play. (Typically in the children's acting classes he's taken, he's been one of the more confident ones onstage.) For weeks he's been talking about how he can't wait until the Hullabaloo would be over. Saturday night, I suggested to him that he might be a TINY bit sad when it was over, and he said no, he didn't think so. Moms always know, though, because as soon as it was done he said he was sad. I'm glad he's feeling that way, because now he will look back with the experience with fondness and without regret.

On Saturday they did a final photo shoot of the cast, and here are photos of some of the final shows' special guests (I didn't capture all of you on film--sorry if I missed you!):

With friends Jeremy, Kate, and Samuel

With Mission of the Atonement friends

With more Mission of the Atonement peeps, Kieran and Nick's preschool teacher,
and my cousin Tim, his wife Ginger, and family 

Nick with Teacher Marah (who came to the show on the
evening of her last day of school before break!)

With Michael, Matthew, Tim, and Beverly

With friend Logan and parents Heather and Tim

With dear friends Caley and Mark and their daughters and a few friends

Big group who came out to see Kieran last Saturday--friends from church, Precious Beginnings, and "Bluegrass Babes"

With my coworker Dana, her husband Brent, and daughter Mara

With church friends Sherry and Rick
(who are always so great about coming to see our kids' plays)!

With friends Steph, Pasquale, and Natalie (last weekend)

Last day: with my parents and their friends Frank and Marilyn, and family friends Sue and Bruce

After the LAST SHOW! (with my Uncle Bill and Aunt Terry)

Such a special treat! Kieran's and Chris' second grade teacher, Renay Schaeffer, came with her niece, and his third grade teacher, Karen Scherlie, came with her husband Sean. Didn't get the little monster in the photo, unfortunately!

I had a camera casualty between the shows yesterday--I dropped it! Sadly, Friday we also discovered that our videocamera is broken. Now I'm in the market for a new camera to replace both. :(

After the final show, we went to Dick's Kitchen to celebrate. We gave Kieran a new tie-dyed shirt and a box of everlasting gobstoppers to congratulate him. His winning monologue (which landed him the part, along with his solo of "Little People") was about everlasting gobstoppers.

With his first-ever paycheck for acting: $50! (comes to $2/show)
(We plan to open a bank account for him, so he can deposit it and start saving!)

It's not about the money, though! We probably spent $500 on gas and food (snacks while waiting for him during rehearsals or between shows), just ferrying him back and forth. The Hullabaloo was a great experience for him. I'm so proud of my little actor for surviving and doing his best!